Signaling system



(No Model.)

W. E. DEOROW. SIGNALING SYSTEM. No. 500,563. Patented July 4, 1893.

INVEN'T BR FIEZ 2 VIE/2x27155155 964% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. DECROW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GAMEWELL FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

SIGNALING SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 500,563, dated July 4, 1893.

' Application filed December 31. 1892. $eria1No. 456,850- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. DECROW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Sufiolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Signaling Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signaling apparatus in which at each sending station is a transmitter that may be adjusted to send in signals of different characters, while at the receiving station some of the signals are accompanied by the ringing of abell and others are received silently. In my patent numbered 413,436, and dated October 22, 1889, I have disclosed a device of this character wherein certain special signals are transmitted and received in such a manner that in addition to the usual indication upon the receiving register a bellis sounded calling attention to the fact that the signals are of a special character. In that construction I do not, as is sometimes done, employ current changesof different character for producing the two classes of signals respectively, but I provide'that in the time occupied by the transmission there shall be a definite period during which the presence or absence of a change in the current determines the character of the signal.

My present invention consists in an improvement upon the construction disclosed in the said patent, and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where- Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating my improved device, and Fig. 2 is a modified form of the same also in diagram.

In the figures A is the transmitting station and B the receiving station.

At A is placed a transmitter of any. kind adapted to give signals of a varying character according to the adjustment. Any form of transmitter capable of sending such signals may be used, although I prefer to use it in connection with the well-known Firman multiple signal movement, and when the service is used with that movement I attach the shunting sector to the shaft upon which is carried the automatically restored pointer.

The transmitter which I have employed for purpose of illustration is constructed as follows: O is anotched disk driven by clockwork in a well-known manner. On the periphery of the disk rest two contact springs 1 and 2 through which the main circuitis held closed except when they pass over a notch in the disk. The disk 0 has a short notch at the point 3, a longer notch at at and then at asucceeding point at its periphery are a series of notches corresponding to the number of the box at which the transmitter is located. On the same shaft with disk O and concentric therewith is a sector E adjustable around the shaft relatively to the disk. Two contact springs 5 and 6 connected to opposite terminals of the box respectively, are adapted to bear on sector E whenever it rotates together with disk 0 after having been properly set with relation thereto. The sector E has at one end three small notches in its periphery and it is adapted to be set relatively to the disk at the will of the operator, so that the box will be short-circuited through the springs 5 and 6 at any point in the rotation of the disk. For one class of signals the sector is adjusted so as to short-circuit the box during the time that the springs 1 and 2 are passing over the notch 4, While for the other class of signals it is set so as to leave the short-circuit entirely open during this period or only closed at intervals by means of the short-notches on the periphery of the sector. In this manner the transmitter for giving the different classes of signals will invariably interrupt the circuit once upon starting, and then during the period before the box number is sent the main circuit will remain closed entirely for one class of signals but for the other class will be opened entirely or at intervals during the same period.

Referring now to the receiving station 13, F is an ordinary register magnet; G is asecond magnet in series therewith, and H is the main battery; J is a disk driven by clockwork in a well-known manner; K is the armature lever of magnet G; L is a stop attached to lever K and normally resting in the path of pin M on disk J; N is a pawl adapted to engage with and operate the toothed sector 0. On the under side of pawl N is a lugYadapted to drop into a notch in the periphery of the disk J. The sector 0 forms a circuit closer in the local circuit of battery P, having a contact arm R adapted to meet a corresponding contact spring S and thereby close the circuit of battery P in which is connected a bell T. V is a locking pawl adapted to engage sector and having connected therewith a lever W, one end of which projects upward into the path of pin M on disk J. The apparatus thus described with the exception of the locking pawl V and its lever W' does not dilfer in principle from that which is disclosed in my patent above mentioned.

The feature which constitutes my invention, and which I desire to claim herein is the locking device for the circuit closer and the releasing mechanism therefor formed by the said pawl V and its lever W which, es-

- pecially in connection with the arrangement shown in the modifications in Fig. 2, constitutes an improvement of much utility, as will be apparent from the following description of the operation of the described apparatus: Normally the apparatus is in the condition shown in Fig. 1 with the main circuit closed, the armature lever K attracted and the disk J held against rotation by the engagement of pin M with stop L. The lug Y on the under side of pawl N resting upon the periphery of the disk L does not permit the engagement of the pawl with sector 0. Of the diiferent signals which may be sent by the transmitter at A it is assumed that those which are to be accompanied by the ringing of hell T at the central station are those in which the short break is followed by a long break, (or a long break with one or more short breaks) before the box number is sent, or so far as the principle is involved, all the breaks may be of the same length. When the sect-orE is turned so as to produce signals of this kind the operation is as follows: The circuit being interrupted by the notch 3 coming under springs 1 and 2 the armature lever K of magnet G is retracted by its spring, stop L is withdrawn and the disk J begins to revolve. In a short time the notch in the periphery of the disk comes opposite lug Y on the pawl N, the lug drops into the notch and the pawl comes into engagement with sector 0. While this condition exists a long break, (ora long and one or more short breaks) is made in the main line. This causes a vibration of the armature lever K, and the pawl N thereby actuates the sector 0 to bring the contact parts R and S together thus closing the circuit of battery P, and ringing bell T. The locking pawl V falls into the notches on sector 0 andprevents its being retracted by its spring. The bell therefore will continue to ring although the pawl N is again lifted on to the periphery of the disk J and thereby thrown out of engagement with sector 0. The bell will continue to ring until the pin M or a similar pin placed at any other determined point on the disk comes into engagement with the outer end of lever W thereby depressing the same and lifting the pawl V out of contact with sector 0. The circuit closer being then released the circuit is opened and the bell ceases to ring. If, however, signals are to be sent which do not require the ringing of bell T the sector E will be set so that there is no break in the main line between the break caused by notch 3 and the breaks which indicate the box number. In this case the disk J will make a complete rotation as in the former case. The main circuit will remain closed during the whole time that the lug Y remains in the notch of the disk, while before the breaks corresponding to the box number take place, the pawlN is again lifted out of engagement with sector 0 and any subsequent vibration of armature, lever K will not act to close the circuit.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2,two circuit closers are placed at successive points in the bell circuit; one of these is the circuit closer shown in Fig. 1,while the other is made by two contact springs extending into the path of pins placed on a disk X on the shaft of disk J. These pins correspond in number to the circuit on which the apparatus is located. The operation is the same as described in Fig. 1, but although the contact parts R and S remain together during one rotation of disk J, the local circuit is only closed by the pins on disk X which thereby give an audible indication not only of the fact that a special signal is being sent but also indicate the circuit upon which the signal is arriving.

Obviously the automatic stopping of the bell in this invention may also be made useful even with the simplest form of transmitter, for instance the push-button. case lug Y would normally rest in the notch of the disk. A change in the circuit would set the apparatus at B in motion, whereupon the bell would ring and in due course would automatically be stopped.

It is apparent that the receiving apparatus may be operated directly by the main line instead of by the intervention of a relay magnet.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination in an electric circuit, of a transmitter, a magnet, a circuit closer in a local circuit actuated thereby, a second circuit closer in said local circuit, a locking device for the first circuit closer, and an automatic releasing mechanism acting to release said first circuit closer.

2. The combination in a signaling system, of a transmitter adjustable for sending different signals, and at the receiving station a magnet, a circuit closer actuated thereby, and a mechanical stop permitting the magnet to act upon the circuit closer at a definite time, a locking device for the circuit closer, and an automatic releasing mechanism for said device acting to unlock the circuit closer at a definite period.

3. The combination in a signaling system, of a transmitter adjustable for sending different signals, and at the receiving station a magnet, a circuit closer actuated thereby, and

In that controlling a local bell circuit, and a mechanical stop permitting the magnet to act upon the circuit closer at a definite time, a locking device for the circuit closer, and an automatic releasing mechanism for said device acting to unlock the circuit closer at a definite period.

4. The combination in a signaling system, of a transmitter adjustable for sending different signals, and at the receiving station a magnet, a circuit closer actuated thereby, a time stop and train therefor controlled by the said magnet and adapted to permit the magnet to act upon the circuit closer at a definite time, a locking device for the said circuit closer for releasing the circuit closer and controlled by the said train.

5. The combination in a signaling system, of a transmitter adjustable for sending different signals, and at the receiving station a magnet, a local circuit controlled thereby during a limited period, a time train, a circuit closer in the local circuit controlled by the time train, and a locking device therefor.

6. The combination in a signaling system, of a transmitter adjustable for sending out different signals, and at the receiving station a magnet, a local circuit controlled thereby for a limited period, a time train, a circuit closer in a local circuit controlled by said train, and a locking mechanism for holding the local circuit closed when acted upon by the magnet, adapted to be automatically released at a definite period.

In witness whereof I have hereto set my hand this 23d day of December, 1892.

WILLIAM E. DECROW. 

